Star Wars Quick-Takes: The Force Awakens- Does it Fit?

I know that a lot of people have seen The Force Awakens already, but since it is still so new, I am going to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible.

We’ve seen a lot of reboots, remakes, and continuations of 1970s and 80s sci-fi franchises lately. Some of them have stuck faithfully to the heart of the original franchise, and some have not. So, how does J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars measure up to the series that has been engaging (and occasionally enraging), geeks since 1977?

One of the main selling points of this new Star Wars movie for me was the return of the original cast. It was exciting to sit in the theatre opening night, and cheer along with all the other fans as favorite characters returned to the screen. Luke, Han, Leia, Chewbacca, C3PO and R2-D2 were some of my earliest childhood imaginary friends. There were some times in the film when I wanted more of these characters, but overall, I thought their characters had progressed naturally from where they were in Return of the Jedi.

The new characters introduced were relatable and fun. They had some similar characteristics to old characters, but also felt like their own people. I am excited to see more of them in the future.

The style of The Force Awakens definitely hearkens back to A New Hope. The starfields, ships, and common speech plants the viewer firmly in that familiar, well-used, and exciting galaxy. I was impressed by the use of practical effects, and excited by John Williams’ newest score.

The plot will probably seem familiar to Star Wars fans. Once again, we are seeing a variation on the classic hero’s journey tale. I’ve heard some people complain about the re-use of this plot, but as it seems to be the heart of Star Wars’ narrative, I wasn’t terribly upset to see familiar moments and themes pop up in this first movie.

If you’ve seen the movie, I’d love to know some of your thoughts. If you haven’t I definitely recommend it.

Thanks for coming with me for this voyage through the Star Wars franchise. However, this is the year of Star Trek, as the original series is turning 50 in September. So, leading up to the anniversary, I am going to blog through every episode, starting with the first pilot,“The Cage”. If you’re interested, stay tuned!

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora